Significant investments in the K-12 to higher education pipeline builds on this legacy, ensuring a future workforce that supports aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, and precision automation companies who call Southern Virginia home.
Ready for Manufacturing Facilities
- Availability of class-one rail-served sites and buildings (Norfolk Southern Railway)
- Abundance of excess water and sewer capacities throughout the region
- Access to Mid-Atlantic Gateway at Port of Virginia and International Airports
- Natural gas extended to majority of sites and buildings
- Robust fiber with speeds to 1.3 terabytes per second
- Abundant electric capacity with competitive rates
- Mile per minute transportation ratio
- Available sites and infrastructure from incubation to megasites with available pads, shell buildings and existing facilities
- Air attainment zone with low risk of natural disaster
Existing Industry | *FDI, **DoD Supplier
A Growing International Community
Southern Virginia has a growing international community. The below flags signify the countries that already call Southern Virginia home.
Training & Credentials
Legacy Workforce with Robust Training Solutions
- Gene Haas Center for Integrated Machining
- DoD Advanced Training in Defense Manufacturing
- Averett University/Danville Community College Aircraft Maintenance
- Old Dominion Manufacturing Engineering Technology Degree
- Patrick & Henry Community College & Old Dominion’s Racing College of VA
- Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing
- VTTI – 2nd Largest University Level Transportation Institute in the U.S.
- PowerAmerica Institute
Workforce Pipeline Highlights
- Skills USA Champions at all levels
- First Robotics Teams
- ISO – Certified Metrology & Non-Destructive Testing Labs
- Virginia International Raceway (VIR) & the South Boston and Martinsville Speedway
- Close Proximity to the Research Triangle Park
- Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering
- Careers (GO TEC)
- Global Center for Automotive Performance Simulation (GCAPS)
- Apprenticeships and Internships
Located in the center of the mobility corridor – connecting skilled craftsman to tech savvy knowledge workers.
Industry Recognized Workforce Partners & Credentials
- Mitutoyo CMM Training Partner
- Haas National Training Provider
- American Society for Quality (ASQ) Cert.
- FANUC Factory Automation & Robotics Cert.
- Siemens Certified Mechatronic Systems
- DOL OSHA 10 – General & Construction
- NIMS Precision Machining Cert.
- Sandvik Coromant Tooling Cert.
- NCCER and AWS Welding Cert.
- Council for Six Sigma Cert.
- AMTEK Fluid Power Cert.
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Cert.
Partner & Supplier Networks
- Federal Highway Administration
- NASA Langley Research Center
- ChemQuest Technologies Institute
- Robust Advanced Material Suppliers
- Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
- CMA Launch Bays & Optimization Center
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Unmanned Aerial Systems Mid-Atlantic Partnerships
- Industrial Inspection & Analysis
- Master Gage & Tool Co.
- Phillips
- Austal USA
- GenEdge
- Sandvik
- Siemons
Virginia has the highest concentration of professional organizations in the nation.
High Performance Manufacturing Resources
Southern Virginia is a DoD Designated Defense Manufacturing Community. That has several advanced manufacturing resources for industries in the region.
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research is home to the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing (ATDM) Program.
The U.S. Navy Additive Manufacturing Center for Excellence opened in 2022 as over $25M investment with 51,000 SQ FT.
State & Federal Resources
- Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
- VA Department of Veteran & Defense Affairs
- U.S. Navy Center for Excellence in Additive Manufacturers
- Access to 22 VA & 10 NC Federal Labs
Professional Organizations and Associations
- Society for Human Resource Management
- Society for Manufacturing Engineers
- American Society for Quality
- Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
- Virginia Maritime Association
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- Southern Piedmont Technology Council
- Association of Information Systems
- Virginia Manufacturers Association